5 Time-Saving Tips for IDDSI Meal Preparation at Home

Mealtime doesn’t have to be a hassle with dysphagia. Learn some easy tips you can use at home to prepare food in advance and de-stress your mealtime.

Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) affects millions of people, yet many caregivers are unprepared for how much it impacts daily life. Preparing safe and nutritious meals for someone who follows one of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) diets can feel overwhelming—especially when life is already busy. But with some thoughtful planning and a few shortcuts, you can save time while ensuring your loved one receives the right food and beverage textures and consistencies. Here are 5 time-saving tips to make your day a little easier.

Stock Up on Ready-to-Eat Ingredients, Thickeners and Texture Modifiers

Not every meal has to be made from scratch. At Lyon’s Health Labs, our Chefs have taken some of the guesswork out of providing the correct food texture and liquid consistency for IDDSI or texture-modified diets while ensuring great taste. Depending on the IDDSI level, the following products are great to have on hand for those days when you just don’t have the time or energy to prepare foods from scratch.

For thickened liquids at home or on the go, you can’t beat THICK & EASY® Instant Food & Beverage Thickeners, THICK & EASY® Coffee Sticks, and THICK & EASY® Tea Sticks. Refer to the Thickener Mixing Chart for more information on how to thicken food and beverages.

Keeping a few of these ready-to-use, IDDSI-compliant items in your pantry or freezer can be a lifesaver on busy days.

Prepare Ahead in Batches

Becky Dorner, registered dietitian nutritionist, recommends “Cook once, eat all week”. Prepare multiple portions ahead of time, portion them into single servings, and store them in the refrigerator or freezer to thaw and reheat for quick and easy meals. Carefully label and date each container (including the IDDSI level) to ensure the right texture and safety for the person you’re caring for.

  • To maintain food safety:
  • Refrigerate meals within 2 hours of cooking.
  • Use refrigerated leftovers within 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator (not on the counter).
  • Reheat to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for a minimum of 15 seconds.
  • Stir foods halfway through to ensure even heating.
  • Do not refreeze meals once they’ve been thawed.

This system ensures you always have safe, texture-appropriate meals ready when you need them.

Keep a “Go-To” Meal List

Post a list of quick IDDSI-compliant meals on your refrigerator. Choose meals you can make in 10 minutes or less to lessen stress when you’re in a rush. Examples might include:

Take some time to browse our website which includes vital health resources such as A Complete Guide to Managing Dysphagia at Home plus lots of recipes for the various IDDSI diet levels.

Accept Help from Friends and Family

When someone asks, “What can I do to help?” be specific. Consider asking them to make and freeze meals in single portions. Share our website or give them one of our recipes to ensure properly prepared foods for the appropriate IDDSI level diet.

This can lighten your workload and ensure your loved one has variety. If preparing meals is too much to ask, those who want to help can purchase some pre-prepared foods at the appropriate IDDSI level.

Test Foods to Ensure Safety

Use these simple tests to ensure that the food meets the correct IDDSI texture for safe and consistent foods.

Fork Test (Check Particle Size): The slots of the fork are usually 4mm, making them perfect for confirming Level 5. The width of a fork is about 15mm, which works for checking Level 6.

Spoon Tilt Test (Check Consistency): Place the food on a spoon and gently tilt it. The food should slide off easily but not be too runny or sticky. Use this test for IDDSI Levels 4 and 5.

Flow Test (Check Drink Thickness): Use a 10 mL syringe and measure the flow rate in 10 seconds. This can confirm the correct thickness for IDDSI drink levels 1-4.

Fork Drip Test (Check Thick Drinks and Fluid Foods): The object is to see if the liquid flows through the tines of the fork in slow dollops (Level 3) or does not dollop or drip through the fork tines (Level 4).

Review the IDDSI Framework Testing Methods guide for more information on all of the tests available to assess food and drink texture safety. Posting a copy in your kitchen makes it easy to double-check foods and drinks right before serving.

Summary

Caring for someone with dysphagia is demanding, but meal preparation doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a bit of planning, some ready-made options, and the willingness to accept help, you can make IDDSI meal preparation less stressful—giving you more time to focus on caring for your loved one – and yourself.

Want more support? Explore our IDDSI Standard for Food Preparation and Testing Video Series.